Christmas celebration at internment camp in Canada during WWI

Black and white photograph of the interior of a barrack building at a World War I Canadian internment camp. The photograph shows rows of wooden benches occupied by hundreds of men during Christmas celebrations. The photograph seems to have been staged as almost all of the men are seated in a forward direction, looking at the camera. Paper garland has been hung from the ceiling of the barrack to mark the holiday season. All of the men appear to be wearing heavy clothing and hat that was typical of the uniforms worn by internees. A camp guard can be seen standing halfway down the central aisle. A larger group of guards seem to be standing against the wall in the background.

During World War I, more than 8500 people – originating from the Austro-Hungarian, German, and Ottoman Empires as well as the Kingdom of Bulgaria – were interned in Canada.